City Government

Oakland’s Housing Market Skyrockets, Continues to Displace Longtime Residents

Published

10 years ago

May 1, 2014

Oakland continues to be plagued by foreclosures and rent increases that threaten to displace many long time Oakland residents, according to a report released Tuesday at the City Council’s Community and Economic Development Committee meeting.

Housing prices are skyrocketing in Oakland, which is “considered to be one of the nation’s fastest-moving housing markets,” according to the report. Oakland’s current median listing price is $475,000, up $7,500 from last quarter’s median listing price, reflecting an 18.6 percent increase over last year.

In addition, rents are going up dramatically. In the past quarter, the city has seen a 15 percent increase in rents in apartment buildings and a 10.3 percent increase for buildings of 50 units or more. These increases are in addition to the 11.5 percent increase the previous year.

Photo courtesy of http://www.casselsf.com/

The high cost of housing may contribute to the long-term decline in the percentage of African Americans living in Oakland, which fell from 43 percent to 26 percent between 1990 and 2011, the most of any group, according to the report.

During the same time period, the percentage of African American homeowners in North Oakland dropped form nearly 50 percent to 25 percent.

“We have to aggressively look at how we can be proactive. We need to analyze the data so we can support home owners and renters – to maintain the rich diversity here in Oakland,” said District 6 City Councilmember Desley Brooks, who sponsored some city’s legislation to protect homeowners from foreclosure.

“We have to level the playing field, to help (residents) compete in market place,” she said.

With the pressure on housing costs, Oakland neighborhoods where residents are experiencing a “significant risks” of displacement include North Oakland, San Antonio and West Oakland. Displacement potential also exists in Chinatown, the Fruitvale District and Central East Oakland and Elmhurst.

The report cited a recent Brookings Institution study that says Oakland ranks as the seventh city in the nation for the highest income inequality. The 20 percent of the lowest income households earn $17,646, while the top 5 percent earn $233,965.

While there are fewer foreclosures than a few years ago, longtime homeowners are still losing their homes. Foreclosures are 29 percent lower than a recent peak last spring, but in January and February there were 165 Notices of Default filed.

In Oakland’s foreclosure crisis, one in 14 households lost their homes, the report said.

At present, 90 percent of Oakland families in foreclosure have owned their homes for at least six years, with over one-third of them in theirs home for over 10 years. Some of them have lived in their residences over 50 years, residing in family homes passed down through multiple generations.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

1 week ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.